El Indio

About the Coffee

El Indio comes from the Tolima department of Colombia, a region that sits in the central Andes and has historically been harder to access due to its geography. Tolima farms typically sit between 1,600 and 2,000 meters, and the Colombian Varieties grown here are a broad family of cultivars selected over generations for their adaptability to local growing conditions.

This coffee was processed using the natural method, meaning the whole coffee cherry is dried around the seed rather than being removed first. The cherries are spread out on raised beds and turned regularly over several weeks until the moisture content drops to the right level. It takes more attention than a standard washed process, and the timing matters, but it produces a distinctly different cup. Natural processing is still less common in Colombia than the traditional washed method, so producers who take it on are usually doing it intentionally to differentiate their output.

About Pallet Coffee Roasters

Pallet Coffee Roasters opened in East Vancouver in late 2014 with the goal of making specialty coffee more accessible.

Their sourcing is built on long-term, direct relationships with farmers and producers. Rather than chasing new lots each harvest, they return to the same partners season after season. That continuity gives them more visibility into how the coffee is grown and processed, and gives producers a more reliable buyer.

"I stumbled on Pallet's Semlin Drive location while wandering around Vancouver nearly a decade ago, and since then, they've become a major player in Vancouver's coffee scene. Like a lot of roasters we feature, Pallet's strength is roasting coffees brilliantly across the spectrum - whether you're into darker coffees, brighter coffees, or something in between."

- Dean, Director of Coffee